Longmire keeping it simple

By Alison Zell

Friday night’s Preliminary Final is the biggest game the Sydney Swans have played since their Grand Final appearance in 2006; but if coach John Longmire is feeling any nerves, he isn’t showing it.

Speaking ahead of the clash against Collingwood, to be played at ANZ Stadium in front of more than 50,000 fans, Longmire said it was business as usual for the Sydney side.

“You just go about your business and do your work to prepare as you always do,” Longmire said.

“You look at the opposition, you look at what we do and you try and get the balance right and that’s what we try to do week to week and year to year.

“There’s no rocket science to it, there’s no magic formula.

“We know that the biggest challenge ahead of us tomorrow is the ability to be able to play four quarters of hard, pressure, contested footy and it doesn’t get much more complicated than that really.”

The Swans’ dismal record against the Magpies has been well publicised, unable to score a win against last year’s Grand Finalists in their past eleven encounters, with the last seven losses coming at ANZ Stadium.

But the Swans have been getting closer, losing by just eight points in a fierce contest in Round 20 and Longmire believes they can learn a lot from that game.

“We really appreciate the two-way style of footy that we talk about and have talked about here at this football club for a long time,” he said.

“We weren’t great at it last time we played Collingwood, we thought we got a few things right but we didn’t get that part of the game right … We need to be better at that tomorrow.”

With some of the best midfielders in the competition in the Magpies side, Longmire knows it will be a tough battle but said the match is likely to be decided by the ruckman in the middle.

“I think it starts with [Darren] Jolly, if you’re talking about a potent weapon,” he said.

“He’s one of the premiere big men in the competition and has been for almost a decade now and I think that’s a real challenge for our big blokes; to match it with Darren Jolly.”

“That’s our challenge, to make sure we get our hands on the ball and at least nullify his influence both at the stoppages but also around the ground … He’s just so smart and so experienced.”

With Swans small forward Ben McGlynn ruled out with a hamstring injury picked up in the Qualifying Final against Adelaide, Sydney will make just one change, welcoming back key defender Heath Grundy from suspension.

“He’s keen to get out there,” Longmire said.

“He’s really looking forward to playing and he’ll have a big role tomorrow.”

A bumper crowd is expected at ANZ Stadium for the biggest game of football Sydney has seen all year, but Longmire is still keeping things simple.

“It’s a great opportunity for the players to play in front of a big crowd but that’s not our main focus tomorrow,” he said.

“Our main focus is to work hard and it’s as simple as that.

“We sit here knowing we’re in a Preliminary Final but knowing that the job’s not done.”

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